AFTER every big terrorist attack in Israel, when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was urged to “eliminate” Yasser Arafat, he replied, “The only difference between Arafat and his possible successors is that he wears a uniform and they wear three-piece suits.”

That’s why Arafat’s death won’t revive Palestinian-Israeli peace talks at any time soon.

But it could delay Sharon’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

There have been no peace talks in four years, in part because Sharon said he had no “peace partner” to negotiate with.

* The mild-case scenario – a period of relative calm leading to the long-delayed Palestinian “national” elections.

But a new Palestinian leadership would have to be willing to start fighting terror before Sharon would start negotiating.

* A worst-case scenario – in which rival chieftains divvy up the West Bank, while Hamas dominates the Gaza Strip. Clearly, there would be no peace talks if this happens.

If Gaza threatens to become “Hamasland,” Sharon will come under intensified pressure not to turn over the land to terrorists by withdrawing Israeli settlers and military forces.

But even under the mild-case scenario, the Gaza pullout may be delayed.

Since Sharon argues that such unilateral action is necessary by Israel to ensure its security, Arafat’s death would put pressure on the Israeli PM to wait until he can assess the new Palestinian leadership before making a move.